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Troubleshooting Open OnDemand

This page provides initial troubleshooting steps for common Open OnDemand problems.

For more detailed guidance, see the page related to the task you were performing:

Access and Navigation

Verify Your VPN Connection

Open OnDemand requires a connection to the KSU VPN-Groups service.

You'll need to connect to our VPN to access the Kennesaw State University VHPC. To begin, open your web browser to vpn-groups.kennesaw.edu, then install the appropriate GlobalProtect VPN client for your computer.

Warning

If you already have a GlobalProtect VPN client installed, make sure you have a connection for vpn-groups.kennesaw.edu, not vpn.kennesaw.edu. Using the vpn.kennesaw.edu gateway will not allow you to access the VHPC.

After connecting, open:

https://ondemand.kennesaw.edu

Open OnDemand Does Not Load

If the site does not load:

  1. Confirm that you are connected to KSU VPN-Groups.
  2. Reload the page.
  3. Disconnect from and reconnect to VPN-Groups.
  4. Try a current version of another browser.

Record any browser error message before contacting the Service Desk.

I Cannot Sign In

Open OnDemand uses your Kennesaw State University NetID.

Confirm that:

  • Your NetID and password were entered correctly.
  • Your password is current.
  • You completed any required authentication prompts.
  • Your VHPC account is active.

Open OnDemand does not require a separate username or password.

If your NetID works with other KSU services but Open OnDemand still rejects the login, record the exact message displayed.

I Signed In but Received an Access Error

An access error after authentication may indicate that:

  • Your VHPC account is not active.
  • Your account has not been fully provisioned for Open OnDemand.
  • You connected through the general KSU VPN rather than VPN-Groups.
  • A temporary service problem is preventing access.

Confirm that you are connected through VPN-Groups, then sign out of Open OnDemand and try again.

A Page, Menu, or Application Is Missing

Most users should see the following top-level menus:

  • Files
  • Jobs
  • Clusters
  • Interactive Apps
  • My Interactive Sessions
  • All Apps

If an expected item is missing:

  1. Reload the page.
  2. Check All Apps.
  3. Sign out and sign in again.
  4. Confirm that the required VHPC or project access has been granted.

The applications and accounts available to you can depend on your permissions and project memberships.

Files

A Storage Shortcut Is Missing

The Files menu should normally include:

  • Home Directory
  • Work
  • Staging

Reload the page or sign out and sign in again.

If one of these shortcuts remains missing, contact the Service Desk.

The File Manager Does Not Show a File

Refresh the directory listing and confirm that you are viewing the expected path.

Also check that:

  • The upload completed successfully.
  • The file was saved to persistent VHPC storage.
  • The file was not created in a temporary compute-node directory.
  • Your account has permission to view it.

For more information, see Managing Files in Open OnDemand.

I Cannot Edit, Rename, or Delete a File

Open OnDemand follows normal Linux file and directory permissions.

You may lack permission to change the file or its containing directory.

From the web-based shell, inspect the path with:

ls -ld path

Do not change permissions unless you understand how the change will affect access to the data.

A File Upload or Download Failed

For a failed browser transfer:

  1. Confirm that your VPN connection is still active.
  2. Retry the transfer once.
  3. Try a smaller file.
  4. Confirm that sufficient storage space is available.

Use an approved VHPC data-transfer method for:

  • Very large files
  • Large datasets
  • Directories containing many files
  • Transfers that need to resume after interruption
  • Automated or recurring transfers
A Directory Download Is Taking a Long Time

Open OnDemand may be preparing an archive before the download begins.

This can take significant time when the directory is large or contains many files.

For large or bulk transfers, use an approved VHPC data-transfer method instead.

My Changes in the Browser Editor Were Lost

The browser editor is intended for light editing and does not necessarily preserve unsaved changes.

Select Save before closing the editor or browser tab.

Shell and Software

The Web-Based Shell Does Not Open

If Clusters → VHPC Shell Access does not open:

  1. Confirm that VPN-Groups is connected.
  2. Reload Open OnDemand.
  3. Try the shell again.
  4. Check whether your browser blocked the new tab.

The shell normally opens in a new browser tab.

For more information, see Using the Web-Based Shell.

A Command Is Not Available

The software may require an environment module.

Search for it using:

Clusters → Module Browser

You can also search from the shell:

module spider application-name

The Module Browser displays the command required to load a selected module.

The Module Browser Does Not Show Expected Software

Try searching with only part of the software or module name.

Check the Last updated time shown on the Module Browser page.

If recently installed software remains missing after the catalog has been refreshed, contact the Service Desk.

Jobs

A Job Does Not Appear in Active Jobs

Confirm that:

  • The job was submitted successfully.
  • You are viewing Jobs → Active Jobs.
  • The page has been refreshed.
  • The job has not already completed.

Very short jobs may finish before they appear.

If you know the job ID, use the web-based shell to check its accounting record:

sacct -j job-id
A Job Remains Queued

Expand the job using the + beside it and review the Reason field.

The job may be waiting for:

  • CPUs or memory
  • A GPU
  • Scheduler priority
  • A partition or account limit
  • A dependency
  • Resources large enough to satisfy the request

A queued job is not necessarily experiencing a problem.

Do not submit repeated copies of the same job while the original remains queued.

A Job Failed or Disappeared

Review the job’s output and error files.

A job may have:

  • Completed
  • Failed
  • Reached its time limit
  • Exceeded its memory allocation
  • Been cancelled

Use Slurm accounting when the job no longer appears under Active Jobs:

sacct -j job-id
I Cannot Cancel a Job

Refresh the Active Jobs page and confirm that the job is still active.

It may already be completing or may have ended between page updates.

Interactive applications should normally be cancelled from My Interactive Sessions.

Interactive Applications

An Interactive Session Remains Queued

An interactive session must wait until Slurm assigns the requested resources.

Check the session card under My Interactive Sessions.

GPU requests, large memory requests, or requests for many CPU cores may take longer to start.

Do not submit duplicate sessions while the original request remains queued.

An Interactive Session Failed

Keep the failed session card visible long enough to record:

  • The application name
  • The session ID
  • The Slurm job ID, when shown
  • The requested resources
  • Any visible error message

Deleting the card immediately may remove information useful for troubleshooting.

The Connection Button Does Not Appear

Confirm that the session has reached Running.

The connection button is unavailable while the request is still queued or starting.

Refresh My Interactive Sessions if the displayed state appears outdated.

Jupyter Does Not Open

When the session is running, select Connect to Jupyter.

Jupyter should open in a new browser tab.

Check whether:

  • The browser blocked the new tab.
  • Jupyter opened in a tab behind the current one.
  • The session is still running.
  • The VPN connection was interrupted.

Return to My Interactive Sessions and try connecting again.

A Graphical Application Opened in the Current Tab

This is expected for the VHPC desktop, GaussView, and MATLAB remote-display sessions.

Before connecting, consider opening My Interactive Sessions in a separate browser tab so the session controls remain available.

I Closed an Application Tab, but the Session Is Still Running

Closing a browser tab does not normally stop the underlying Slurm job.

To reconnect:

  1. Return to Open OnDemand.
  2. Open My Interactive Sessions.
  3. Locate the running session.
  4. Select its connection button.

To release the allocated resources:

  1. Save your work.
  2. Return to My Interactive Sessions.
  3. Locate the queued or running session.
  4. Select Cancel.
  5. Confirm the action.
An Interactive Session Ended Unexpectedly

The session may have:

  • Reached its requested runtime
  • Exceeded its memory allocation
  • Been cancelled
  • Encountered an application error
  • Experienced a compute-node or service problem

Check the completed or failed session card and review any files created by the application.

The Interactive Desktop Is Slow

Try:

  • Lowering image quality
  • Increasing compression
  • Closing applications you are not using
  • Reducing the graphical demands of the application

Performance may also be affected by your internet connection, VPN connection, browser, and local computer.

Browser and Session Issues

Browser Notifications Do Not Work

Open OnDemand notifications require browser permission for:

ondemand.kennesaw.edu

If Open OnDemand reports that notifications must be enabled in the browser, open the browser’s site-permission settings and allow notifications for the site.

Then return to Open OnDemand and enable notifications again.

Browser and operating-system notification controls vary.

Open OnDemand Signed Me Out

Your web session may expire after a period of inactivity.

Sign in again using your NetID.

An authentication timeout does not necessarily stop an interactive Slurm job. After signing in, open My Interactive Sessions and reconnect.

Getting Help

If the problem continues after completing the relevant troubleshooting steps, contact the Kennesaw State University Service Desk.

Method Students Faculty/Staff
Web ServiceNow ServiceNow
E-Mail studenthelpdesk@kennesaw.edu service@kennesaw.edu
Phone 470-578-3555 470-578-6999

When reporting a problem, include:

  • Your NetID
  • The approximate date and time the problem occurred
  • The Open OnDemand page or application involved
  • A description of what you were attempting to do
  • The exact error message
  • The Slurm job ID or interactive session ID, when available
  • Your browser and operating system
  • A screenshot, when it helps explain the problem

Preserve a failed interactive session until you have recorded its details.

Do not include passwords, authentication codes, private keys, or other credentials in screenshots or support requests.